Guys and Balls (2004)

After their most recent loss, a soccer team discovers its goalie is gay and casts him out. He retaliates by bringing back an all-gay team for a game to prove who's better.

Director:

Sherry Hormann

Writer:

Benedikt Gollhardt

Stars:

Maximilian Brückner, Lisa Maria Potthoff, Dietmar Bär

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eileen Eilender	...	Susanne jung 1
Leon Breitenborn	...	Ecki jung 1
Dietmar Bär	...	Vater
Saskia Vester	...	Mutter
Anna Koesling	...	Susanne jung 2
Steven Wellmann	...	Ecki jung 2
Melody Sitta	...	Cordula jung
Jan Giffel	...	Udo jung
Maximilian Brückner	...	Ecki
Willi Thomczyk	...	Wirt
Jochen Stern	...	Rentner Rudi
Judith Hoersch	...	Cordula (as Judith Delphine Hoersch)
Carlo Ljubek	...	Udo
Mirko Lang	...	Tobias
Tobias van Dieken	...	Bernhard (as Tobias Vandieken)

Storyline

Fair-haired Ecki, the baker's son, has grown up the golden boy of his home town. All that changes the instant he and his soccer teammates discover he's gay. Now the object of scorn and ridicule (and finding himself unceremoniously kicked off his team), Ecki travels to the city of Dortmund to recruit an all-gay soccer team to return and prove to his town and his former soccer mates who the best men are. As first-time-out Ecki searches blindly through gay watering holes for players, his parents endure a rash of derisive gay jokes from the townies, leaving Ecki's gruff father to hope for a change in his son's orientation while also considering closing down the family business.

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Plot Keywords:

three word title | queer cinema | gay lead character | gay character | gay slur | 

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Taglines:

Jeder gibt sein bestes Stück. (Everyone gives his best part.)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Did You Know?

Goofs

Ecki wears a shirt of the same colour as the rest of the team despite being goalkeeper. Goalkeepers should wear contrasting tops to differentiate themselves from the rest of their teams.

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Quotes

Udo: [seeing Ecki and Sven hug after their team wins a goal] Why not f*ck, you twerps!
Sven: [restraining Ecki] Ecki! Come on.
Udo: [taunting] Come here, you pansy!
Sven: [pulling Ecki aside] Hey! I'm here 'cause I wanna win with you.

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Crazy Credits

In the ending credits, each actor's name is placed on the soccer grid where his position was played in the movie.

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Connections

References Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

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Soundtracks

Yes
Written by Gunnar Graewert
Performed by Jerry C.

User Reviews

funny, delightful comedy about a newly-formed gay soccer team that takes on prejudice and intolerance

Yes, it has been done before-- an "against all odds" sports film. But this film tackles the genre in a funny, laugh-out-loud way. An odd assortment of characters-- some eccentric but all pretty much everyday folks-- are well-presented. The dialog is witty, the romance is sweet and the film is well-paced. You really root for these characters-- you like them and care about them. A light and fun two hours with no heavy messages or polemics. Sure, the film is predictable but the humor and the fact that you care for the characters prevents the rolling of eyes and the restlessness that often comes when you know what is ahead of you in a film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

7 October 2004 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Guys and Balls

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,425, 30 April 2006

Gross USA:

$28,324

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,140,909

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, FFF Bayern, Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 102 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (35mm)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1